The Bandersnatch Paradigm
by Transient Fossil
Summary: Step 1: Possess Rin's dying body. Check. Step 2: Save the world. Sakura's sure she's missing a few minor details in there...


**The Bandersnatch Paradigm**

 _Bandersnatch_  
1.  
an imaginary wild animal of fierce disposition.  
2.  
a person of uncouth or unconventional habits, attitudes, etc., especially one considered a menace, nuisance, or the like.

 **Chapter 1: The Snatch**

 _Snatch_  
1.  
to seize by a sudden or hasty grasp.  
2.  
to take, get, secure, etc., suddenly or hastily.  
3.  
to rescue or save by prompt action.

* * *

The first thing Sakura is aware of is excruciating, blindingly bright pain. And, oh god, heal it heal it heal it heal it— Ripping her dazzled eyes away from a frozen horrified mismatched pair, she roughly pushes herself off of Kakashi's hand, a gaping hole carved straight through her heart (the enemy shinobi surrounding them like a cruel mist hesitate in their shock, and whisper _he killed...own teammate...gruesome way to do it_ ). The electric remnants of Chidori dance across her hands, mingling with a waning flickering cloak of inhuman chakra. They fall (crumble), and Sakura cries as Kakashi cries, as his tragic gift of a Sharingan morphs into something even more heartbreaking. She knows, as no one else does, that it's match is changing also, changing along with a boy whose heartbreak will break the world (no, can't let that happen). Distantly, Sakura thinks she hears screaming.

 **! BANDERSNATCH ?**

The next time Sakura is aware of anything, she is blinking at some lightly colored, plain plaster ceiling, illuminated only by the first baby-young hints of dawn peaking around half drawn curtains. That strange scent, a mix of zealously used cleaners and sterile stuffy air, common to the Konoha hospital, surrounds her like a mildly unpleasant but comforting blanket. Out of the corner of her eyes, she can see the pulsing dim lights of various medical machinery; absently, she lists what each machine does in her head. She knows this place; she's sweated, cried, and dragged herself (not far enough) out of the long shadows of her teammates here. This place is a part of her, no matter the time—or body.

At that thought, (not) her hands twitch automatically up to her chest and, gods, does she deserve a fucking medal or what? The Chidori lives up to its reputation as a one hit K.O. jutsu. Coupled with its massive piercing power (Rin's body had been completely impaled, Kakashi's hand sticking out straight out her back, narrowly missing her spine), its electricity arcs out upon impact, giving the unfortunate target lightning burns both internally and externally. Healing that kind of cataclysmic damage at all, much less after having your soul unceremoniously dropped into the impaled body at the moment of their death, is a goddamn miracle. Sakura would be damned if there wasn't only one other person in the entire world that might have managed it.

The door creaks slightly as a stern faced medic and the Sandaime Hokage step into her hospital room. The Hokage looks a damn sight younger and less...undead, than the last time Sakura laid eyes on him. And doesn't that just drive home her situation? (This is real. It's happening. Sakura is really really back in time. For real.) She very carefully _does not_ laugh nervously (hysterically), instead managing to get out the safely neutral (and unwavering, thank gods) greeting of "Hokage-sama" with an incline of her head that tries to imitate a bow. (Rin had probably been a nice, respectful Kunoichi, right? _How is she going to do this, oh gods, she is most definitely_ not _an infiltration specialist._ )

"Rin-chan." The Hokage says the name with a reassuring smile on his face. Despite the fact that she knows the smile is for someone who is _dead_ , it reassures Sakura all the same. _Damn,_ Sakura reflects, _is that a good quality in a leader, or_ what _?_

The medic sweeps to her bedside; the Hokage waits patiently as the medic, stone-faced, checks over (not) her body. After several minutes, he straightens and steps back, "Nohara-san is stable and recovering, Hokage-sama," he takes a barely discernable breath as Sakura admires his efficiency. It's always nice to see a competent medic in action. "There are currently no signs of unstable, leaking chakra from the Sanbi." _Ah,_ Sakura's (Rin's) fingers twitch, _right. Jinchuuriki of the Three-tails._

Sakura startles as the Hokage lays his hand atop (not) hers (had she really zoned out, just like that?) and starts to speak before her nerves get the better of her, "Hokage-sama, I…is…I mean…um…," she takes a deep centering breath as the Hokage watches her kindly, _Get it together, Sakura!_ "What happened to Kakashi?" She barely manages to bite off the 'sensei' before the first sound forms in her mouth.

"Kakashi-kun woke before returning to Konoha, apart from being very anxious to see that you survived and some minor chakra exhaustion, he is safe and resting within our walls." Here the Hokage pauses, "It appears the Kiri shinobi surrounding the two of you were…taken care of by a currently unknown party."

Sakura blinks. And then blinks again. Donning her best poker face, she asks, "Unknown party?"

"Yes. When the extraction team arrived, the enemy shinobi had been lifted into the air and killed by what appear to be tree roots. Kakashi-kun fell unconscious before the unknown party acted, and could give no insight." (Okay, another check that the timeline is the same as the history she knows.) The Hokage looks at her searchingly, "Rin-chan, did you see or hear anything before you fell unconscious? Do you have any idea of what happened? Who was involved?"

"I thought I heard screaming," Sakura answers honestly.

The Hokage sighs. "It seems the entire situation is rather extraordinary. Kakashi-kun reported that you were definitely directly hit with his Chidori, with the apparent intention of killing yourself before the Sanbi could break free."

Here Sakura grimaces and nods because, though she understands and accepts Rin's reason for suicide, suicide by Kakashi was a complete dick move (it's not even like she was purposefully attempting to give him the Mangekyo Sharingan as some twisted parting gift).

"The medics who performed your emergency surgery upon your return to Konoha say your body shows all evidence of this being true. Except, by the time the extraction team arrived, you were still alive and partially healed enough to survive the rest of the trip to Konoha's hospital. A miracle, by all intents and purposes."

Sakura fidgets with Rin's fingers. "Hokage-sama, the Sanbi…?"

"The seal was successfully fixed by Konoha's best seal masters, including your Sensei. All medical and seal checks since that time have shown it to be holding, though the full effects on your chakra system and body have yet to be determined. It could potentially have been the reason you survived."

"So, I really am a Jinchuuriki," Sakura says softly, "you're not, going to remove it?"

A gentle squeeze to her hands is her answer. "We are going to arrange meetings with Kushina-chan, so she can help you adapt to the change. You know she is the current jailor for the Kyuubi?"

At Sakura's nod, the Hokage adds, almost to himself, "This seems to be yet another rather extraordinary link in this strange chain of events."

Sakura stares through the Hokage, thoughts a lifetime away. "I didn't…expect to make it," she surprises herself by saying. But, she really had been fully prepared to die rather than actually successfully possess and then save Rin's body; she finds she wasn't quite mentally prepared to get to the second stage of their hastily put together plan.

"It was very brave, sacrificing yourself for the good of the village." The Hokage's solemn words jolt her back to the present. "The Will of Fire burns brightly in your heart. That you survived, despite all odds, will surely benefit Konoha for years to come." (Well, Sakura sure hoped so.)

She takes in the empty room in a swift glance, the medic had left after his diagnosis, good. Sharp eyes focus on the Hokage, one of the most powerful men in the village, and Sakura takes a calming breath. They'd talked about this, in her original time, she couldn't stop what was to come by herself. She was a 17 year old maybe jounin level medic, and she'd be snatching the body of a 14 year old chuunin. She wouldn't be strong enough, she wouldn't know enough, she _needed_ allies.

The Hokage wasn't an ally she could afford to not have—he was a powerful shinobi, he commanded many other powerful shinobi, and he knew the politics of this time. Most importantly, if she didn't bring him in as her ally, she would have to attempt to work around him, and that would only end in a cold cell _at best_ for her. She may remember the Sandaime as a kind grandfatherly figure, but she had no illusions about her ability to trick the wily monkey, or about his kindness in the face of supposed enemies of Konoha. There would be no better opportunity than now; the less she had to mislead this man, the better. _In for a penny,_ Sakura thinks wryly.

"Hokage-sama, I know who the unknown party is, and I know why I survived, but…I'm not sure you'll believe me."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Why the title? Initially, because Bandersnatch sounds amusingly similar to body snatch, and then for a whole bunch of other reasons I proceeded to make up. With fanfiction, I'm attempting to practice my writing and be creatively productive in a casual manner. I hope you enjoy my efforts and can help me improve. ~TF

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Naruto: Shippuden.

Both the definitions for bandersnatch and snatch were taken from dictionary dot com: no spaces, "dot" = "."


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